Government Committed to Mitigating Effects of Drought on Farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining continues to implement measures to mitigate the impact of drought on farmers, says portfolio Minister, Floyd Green.

Interventions, so far, have centred on expanding irrigation infrastructure and providing additional water and moisture-retention support.

“We are trucking water, creating catchment ponds, providing mulch and materials to help keep moisture in the soil and we just announced a new drip irrigation system and storage facilities,” the Minister said.

“We will be spending $60 million to support farmers in accessing additional drip irrigation systems as what we are trying to do is mitigate the effects. The drought has been so far-reaching that we will see the impact. What we have to do is get the farmers back up and running,” he said.

He was speaking with JIS News at the 20th staging of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture, being held at the Ocean Coral Spring Hotel in Trelawny from September 27 to October 2, 2026.

Minister Green said that the current dry conditions remain challenging, particularly given the high proportion of farmers who depend on rainfall for their agricultural activities.

“I think it’s one of the realities that we face; the fact that we still have about 70 per cent of our farmers that depend on rain-fed agriculture. So, what we have to do is build our irrigation systems and give them more reliable sources of water,” he said.

He cited the commissioning of the Ebony Park Agro Park Irrigation Project as “the best thing that we’ve done so far”.

He said that the system brings 100 acres of land under irrigation cover.

“So, those farmers literally can plant despite there being a drought. Another thing we are doing is to use this extended period of sunlight to drive renewable energy powered systems so we are increasing the NIC’s (National Irrigation Commission’s) use of energy, … reducing our annual bill by $14 million so we have to do those things,” Minister Green said.